Greene's strong start sets tone as Reds regroup in Atlanta

ATLANTA -- Hunter Greene was lights-out. Elly De La Cruz was electric. And the Reds got a key bounceback performance in a 4-1 victory over the Braves on Monday night at Truist Park. It came after they were swept by the Nationals over the weekend in their first series of the second half.

But a team is more than just its All-Stars. And the secret spark for the Reds' turnaround in Atlanta wasn't an All-Star at all. It was a team leader who wasn't even on the field.

Veteran backup catcher Luke Maile, who's currently on the injured list with a herniated disc in his back, addressed his teammates on the bus ride from the airport into Atlanta on Sunday night, with the team still stung from the Washington sweep.

“What he said was fantastic. It was perfect timing," Greene said. "It was professional and we needed it. He’s been a leader all year. It definitely motivated me. I know it motivated the rest of the team. When you have somebody like that who cares a lot and puts himself in position to be a leader and to pick the boys up, it’s always important.

“It was huge leading into the beginning of this series and hopefully into the rest of the season.”

Maile declined to discuss the meeting on the bus.

"He pretty much just echoed the message of, 'Be who you are.' Be who you are to the fullest," said Reds outfielder and Atlanta native Will Benson, who chipped in a big night himself alongside Greene and De La Cruz in his first game in his hometown this season.

That also means: If you're an All-Star, be an All-Star. And Greene and De La Cruz were against the Braves.

De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and his MLB-leading 49th stolen base of the season. Greene, on the mound for the first time since the Midsummer Classic, pitched seven scoreless innings in the same ballpark where he beat the Braves in his first Major League start on April 10, 2022.

"Last time we were right in this spot was my debut in 2022," Greene said while giving his postgame TV interview on the field. "So Atlanta's been good to me."

Greene was dealing in his third consecutive gem this July, after tossing seven scoreless innings with seven K's against the Tigers on July 6 and six innings of one-run, 10-strikeout baseball to beat the Rockies on July 11. Greene now has a 0.45 ERA this month.

It was a big game for Greene against the NL Wild Card leaders and he knew it. You could see it in how amped up he was striding off the mound at the end of the seventh, pounding his hands together as he got Orlando Arcia to fly out to cap off his outing.

"Hunter wanted to be on the mound tonight," manager David Bell said. "He wanted to be the guy to be out there. Obviously, they're all important games, but coming off the weekend, it was nice to get a win, of course. Hunter stepped up. Just absolutely wanted to be out there and did everything you could ask for tonight."

Greene had De La Cruz, and Benson, and (in spirit) Maile to back him.

Benson robbed Sean Murphy of extra bases with a leaping catch on the run in deep left field to end the second inning. Then, he took Atlanta starter Reynaldo López -- who had an All-Star first half in which he led the Majors with a 1.88 ERA -- deep in the third. It was Benson's 11th home run of 2024, tying his full-season total from a year ago.

This also isn't the first time Maile has stepped up for Cincinnati in tough times. In April 2023, the Reds were swept in a four-game series at Pittsburgh to fall to 7-15. Maile held a players-only clubhouse meeting and they responded by sweeping the Rangers in the following series at home on their way to an 82-win season before just missing the postseason.

This week is critical for the Reds (48-53) as they sit four games back in the NL Wild Card race. The club could shift into seller mode and move some veterans on short-term contracts ahead of the July 30 Trade Deadline if things don't improve soon.

Maile was willing to address that elephant in the room publicly.

“I think any time you try to ignore it, it seems like it gives it more life," Maile said. "If you try to ignore all the trade stuff, some of the negative things that happened around here. I think you have to address them. You have to meet them head-on. Ultimately, they’re part of the game. You have to be an adult.

“You have to be tough enough mentally to be able to deal with it, answer questions and still be able to go out and perform. I think we showed a lot of strength being able to do that tonight with everything that’s going on.”